About Us

We are MI5, we protect the UK from threats to national security such as terrorism and espionage. We gather intelligence and work closely with the police and law enforcement to detect threats and work out ways to stop them.


The Role

At MI5 the threats we face are ever evolving.  To help meet those threats we are looking for lawyers who can use their skills and expertise to enable our operations, in support of our mission to keep the country safe

Working in one of our legal teams, you will deal with complex and challenging legal issues arising out of MI5’s investigative and operational work.  You will advise on the law relating to MI5 operations and operational capabilities.  This includes the development and use of new techniques to support our work and the law relating to data sharing, such as; enabling the disruption of terrorist activity and other hostile activity through the use of executive powers, and dealing with incoming litigation to MI5 and other government departments.

The successful applicant can expect a fascinating and varied workload, with daily engagement with investigative and operational colleagues.  The role involves:

•    Advising internal colleagues on how to achieve objectives in a legally compliant way
•    Thinking creatively to identify ways of achieving objectives that may not be immediately apparent
•    Demonstrating balanced judgement, breadth of perspective and an appreciation of the policy context of the work
•    Organising and prioritising work and anticipating problems
•    Liaising effectively at senior level with internal colleagues and representatives of other departments and organisations
•    Managing MI5 equities in complex casework

This role offers the chance to make a real difference to the safety of the country and its citizens, with immediate responsibility coupled with plenty of on the job support.  


About You

For this challenging and exciting role, we need people who thrive in a team environment but who are also comfortable working independently.  You will be a solicitor or barrister.  You will be persuasive, tactful and diplomatic with excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.  You will be capable of making sound decisions in a fast-moving environment.  You will be a self-starter and capable of handling real and immediate responsibility.


Training and Development

Whatever your career path, training and development are at the heart of what MI5 does, and you’ll have the opportunity to gain a variety of different skills throughout your time with us. From a wide range of courses in our internal training academy to the chance to build on your professional qualifications, we’re committed to making the most of your potential.  

Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £80,768 plus other benefits including:

-    25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays.
-    Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
-    Personal Learning Budget.
-    Opportunities to work flexibly, subject to business needs
-    Interest-free season ticket loan
-    Excellent pension scheme
-    Cycle to work scheme
-    Facilities such as a subsidised gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars
-    Paid parental and adoption leave


Culture and Working Environment

As part of our team, you’ll discover an inclusive workplace that’s welcoming, supportive and encouraging. You’ll be part of an organisation where people want to support one another and make a difference. Aside from fostering an open culture, we have a range of staff affinity groups. For example:  
 
•    Ethnic Minority and gender equality networks
•    Groups supporting wellbeing, mental health, neurodiversity and disability
•    Faith/No Faith communities for staff to come together
•    LGBTQ+ support networks

You’ll also find a variety of sports, activity, interest and social groups to help you settle in and connect with people with similar interests.


Before You Apply

To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen. We do have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Honesty and integrity are really important if you want to work at MI5. Take some time to read about the vetting process and make sure you meet the criteria in the vetting pages of the ‘How to Apply’ section. The process can take some time, but this is just because it’s thorough. Giving misleading information and omitting or concealing information during the recruitment and vetting process is viewed very seriously.

The role is based in London, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application.

Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application.


Equal Opportunities

At MI5 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce.

We’re Disability Confident

MI5 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme.  This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.  Being Disability Confident, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview where practicable; this is known as ‘Offer of an Interview’. To secure an interview for this vacancy, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:

•    Passing the application sift carried out by the hiring manager


Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. One of your parents must be a British Citizen or must have one of the nationalities or citizenships from one of the following: British Overseas Territory, British Subject, British National (Overseas), British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person, citizenship of a country in the Commonwealth, citizenship of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA), or citizenship of the United States of America (USA). If deceased, they should have had such citizenship or nationality before death. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless be considered. If successful, you will not normally be required to give up your non-British citizenship but, as a condition of your employment or secondment, MI5 may impose restrictions on your postings, work travel and/or general use of that nationality. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. Each case will be carefully considered on its own facts. You can apply at the age of 17 years, if successful you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday. Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member. Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside of the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. Further information on our eligibility criteria can be found on the Applying section.


What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

•    Initial application – you will complete some basic personal details and eligibility questions
•    Full application – you will complete your education and work history and answer some motivational fit questions
•    Technical interview
•    Assessment centre – you will answer some motivational fit and competency questions and complete a role play exercise.
•    Conditional offer – if successful at assessment centre you will be sent an offer of employment conditional on passing vetting.

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process in order to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.


Our Vetting

To work in this role you will need the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community has to go through and it can take some time. As part of the DV process you will be asked to fill in a detailed questionnaire and attend an interview with a vetting officer. In your interview the vetting officer will have a thorough, compassionate and honest discussion with you about you as a person and your life experiences, to ensure holding a DV clearance is right for you. You don’t need to do any preparation for your vetting interview, just be honest and be yourself. All applicants for DV are treated impartially and consistently, irrespective of gender, race, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics.

Right to Withdraw Statement:

Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.